


An Elaborate Lounge Act

by Brice_Gottlieb



Category: BioShock, Game Grumps, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Feminization, Genetic Engineering, Genetically Engineered Beings, Imprinting, M/M, Rapture (Bioshock)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3293417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brice_Gottlieb/pseuds/Brice_Gottlieb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Pilot to tower. Plane out of gas. Am 50 miles out over ocean at 300 feet. Radio instructions."<br/>"Tower to Pilot, repeat after me: 'Our father, who art in heaven---'"</p><p>- Mark E. Fischbach, Live at the Mermaid Lounge, 1956</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/gifts).



> Based on Emono's fiction 'Would You Kindly, Daddy?'  
> Character design based on LiterallyNSFW's
> 
> Please check out both of them, I can't shout enough praise for them!
> 
> Taking a few liberties on the boys themselves, as little is said about them, but may be edited later depending on Emono's updates.

Mark was brainwashed, not stupid.

 

He knew his charge was unique, even fragile compared to other Little Brothers, both physically and emotionally. The name was Danny on most days, but Leigh when things got rough. The poor lad was susceptible to the cold that pervaded all of Rapture. He disliked rushed paces and couldn't run to save his life (Mark had defended him multiple times in these situations). Through all the hells that visited Rapture, his Little Brother had remained calm, even cheerful. The smile rarely left his face. He was an angel in charmeuse, perfect as a cameo jewel.

 

Their residence in The Pink Pearl hardly pleased Mark. But Danny loved the interior and the nearby Lounge was eerily welcoming to Mark. The Orphanage was a beacon to many abandoned Little Brothers for him to interact with, but it also called to desperate Splicers. The entire area was often too largely populated to properly patrol. Moving was of higher and higher priority each day, but until a safe haven opened its doors, Danny was content.

 

 

 

And content he was, shuffling slowly to more wakeful states while under a mountainous pile of sheets and duvets. The fabric heaved and buckled under Danny's constant squirming, pushing against the weight that had settled over him during sleep until the seal broke and fresh air flew in like a chilly breeze. Shrinking back, Danny rubbed the sleep from his face against the fitted sheets before barging out of the warm cocoon. Soft hair the shade of hot cocoa haloed his head in a cloud of curls, seemingly untamable. Danny groaned softly as he rubbed his eyes. Only silence could greet him; a sign Mark was away. 

 

Before the Big Daddy went on patrols, he usually set a record on the rickety phonograph. As Danny approached, the needle skimmed the silent etches of a 45 record. It had been set on a while ago and left to play, maybe in hopes of waking Danny. The Little Brother stopped it, setting the needle upon its resting pedestal and exchanging the record for another of his favorites: Nina Simone. The simple beat was better suited for his leisurely morning. 

 

Danny left the phonograph to begin the day only to find a visitor squirming through the vent of his room. A tiny gentleman all covered in soot tumbled from the opening in a puff of ash, like a clumsy chimney sweep. "Don't you know it's rude to enter private chambers like this?" Danny admonished, treading across the room. The vent grate took force to close, but with a bit of shoving Dan got it groaning shut. "Should have shut that last night," he grumbled, looking down at the smiling face that had intruded so carelessly. 

 

 

 

Ross O'Donovan was a sad case; so cheerful and sunny for a double orphan. But these things do happen (Danny shuddered to think) and the poor whelp had taken up residence in many of The Pink Pearl's rooms. It didn't take much for a skinny lad to worm through the vents, and without a Big Daddy to care for him, being on the move was often in Ross' best interests. He always slept in Miss Donovan's room, though... And Danny was very close friends with Ross. They may bicker and exchange banter. They had their differences, but he loved the boy nearly as much as his own Big Daddy. 

 

"There are Babydolls  _everywhere_ out there," Ross chuckled, brushing himself off and panting as if he'd been on the run. 

 

"Why do you tempt them?" Danny asked softly, stepping over the Little Brother to open his armoire. "Get to the tub. If you're going to be here, you'll help me dress."

 

 

 

 

Mark took all the care in the world to provide him with freshwater to bathe in. There was a time when the two of them lived on the lam, just scrambling to survive and using the base necessities. Mark praised him for every rare drop of ADAM he could pump out (it never seemed enough when Mark was in combat nearly every day). Danny still wore his issued uniform as a Little Brother and bathed every chance they got (the touches of Splicers still burned long after the skin was scrubbed pink) which usually meant long soaks in icy salt water. Between the lack of sleep and ADAM, Danny's appearance waned and his hair grew brittle after so much exposure. It had been enough to deeply concern Mark and he began to reach paranoia levels when Danny mentioned the tiniest discomfort. Perhaps that was why Mark went out of his way to gift such luxury, Dan thought idly as he toyed with the clothing on the rack. Danny tried his best to show his appreciation for their new comforts with full bellies of ADAM and enough kisses to pink his lips. Maybe it was time to show that appreciation again.

 

Danny laid out his choice of clothing: a baby blue chemise made of charmeuse, a line of pearls decorating the neckline. As he fished the matching garter and stockings from the drawers, Danny could hear the splashing of Ross in his little tin tub. Knowing the water would be tainted with soot, Danny took to his bedside table for his own needs, where a plain carafe of water sat in a chipped dish. Slipping out of his nightclothes (which was in fact one of Mark's shirts), he used the stained and scrapped rags to wash his face and neck, scrubbing hard against his palms and knuckles. Not a speck of dirt would ruin his plans,

 

As Danny took long minutes of care to clean himself up, Ross emerged from the restroom in a standard Little Brother uniform. The circle skirt matched the vest in the same old mint green that Danny had grown sick of looking at, but stocked up on for fear of ruining his better clothes. Black piping gave the vest a visual pop against the pure white undershirt. Ross had foregone the stockings and his tiny footfalls neared Danny comfortably, taking up the Little Brother's curls with ease and running fingers through them. "Let's do something with this, too," he suggested, not waiting for Danny's nod before taking up the perfectly arranged outfit. 

 

When prompted, Danny lifted delicate legs to slip on the undergarments, the garter, and the stockings at Ross' request, carefully going through the drawer of the bedside table for the best hair accessories he'd plucked from bedrooms around the motel. "I'm feeling very Mae West today," Danny said softly, picking over silk flowers and bows, loose ribbons and strings of pearls on delicate clasps. "Work these into them, would you?" he asked, handing back an oversized Forget-Me-Not in silk and a drape of small pearls. His hair was tugged at and twisted near expertly in Ross' hands as Danny covered his bare chest against the oncoming cold. 

 

His hair was never perfect, not without tamping down or creasing those natural curls Mark loved so much, but Ross kept the hair folded gently and pinned lightly. There was always a loose strand or two, easily shook loose. By the end of the day, it would be a mess all over again, but Danny wasn't planning on keeping it pristine  _that late_. 

 

 

 

The chemise was lifted over his calves and slipped across his thighs as Ross hid the last clasp in his locks. "Special day, huh?" Ross said softly, stepping back to admire his work. The closing button lingered over the nape of Danny's neck, unclasped until Ross secured it. "You look good."

 

"When I'm good, I'm  _very_ good," Danny stated simply, fishing out his Mary Janes from under the bed with a stocking-covered toe. He sat upon the mattress and began buckling the tiny gold fasteners. "When I'm bad, I'm  _better_. Now, come here; it's your turn..."


	2. Chapter 2

The whole world ended, Mark, and where were you?

 

 

A large finger ran over ivory keys that no longer played. Some part of him knew this instrument, but the songs has long since left his hands. Mark's fingers pittered over the surface in a mockery of performance. Empty bottles on the bar became his audience, the drippings of seawater their applause. The lounge was too familiar, too alluring. He pulled away as if shocked, nearly toppling over the piano bench behind him as he left. He could never get out quick enough. As always, he would avoid The Mermaid Lounge again without casting it the barest of glances, not until the allure was too great.

 

Siren Alley was falling apart, that was no mistake. He could barely step without boards shrieking in protest. It troubled his every thought. The Pink Pearl could hardly be their safe haven much longer. It was time to bring his charge elsewhere. He would be better off far away from the memories and the rot.

 

The hotel doors were left barred at Mark's request. There was no easy entrance for Splicers, not without more than a few obstacles. He searched the ground a bit, prying up a few loose nails and sending them clattering through the Pneumo Tube. A signal, of sorts. Gathering a breath, Mark began to climb the bordello front with ease and over the crudely modified sign.

 

 

 

Danny leapt at the sound of rattling in the pipe, jarring Ross out of his relaxed reverie. Blankets were flying as he clambered to the vent, wrenching open the grate and peering hard into the darkness within. The nails that had been sent moved past, on their journey who knows where, but their message was sent all the same. Mark was home.

 

Through the vent, heavy footfalls could be heard, the hissing of Splicers and their shadowy movements like ice on the winds. They scattered from his Daddy, so strong. It wasn't worth the fight, not without the prize in sight. Danny grinned wider with each footstep, leaning closer into the mouth of the vent as Mark's voice drifted up to him.

 

"Hello, darling."

 

"Hi, Daddy," Danny replied sweetly, nearly bouncing in his Mary Janes with excitement. "Do you need me to open the door?"

 

"If you would be so kind to," Mark crooned. The exaggerated sweetness affected Danny all the same, flushing his face brightly as he rushed to do as he was told. The door to their apartment was coated in a gaudy pink paint, but the tricky bit was the traps. With nimble fingers, Danny undid his only protection. The shotgun, cradled in a hole in the wall, was taken down and carefully unloaded just as his Daddy had shown, and put back just as gently. Locks clattered to the floor and were picked up by Ross, their keys still deep within their mechanisms. 

 

Mark waited by the first floor vent, hearing the faint shuffling as Danny neared. "All clear, Daddy," came the sweet voice, "are you alright? Do I need to get the kit?"

 

"I'm fine, darling," he replied, all attention on reassuring that tiny voice. "No need for the kit. I have a surprise for you, though, if you've been good."

 

"As do I, Daddy," Danny chirped, all excitement and an underlie of mischief, leaving Mark smiling.

 

The trip upstairs was always rough: climbing all the way, floors up, relying mostly on the rickety banisters and slipping past traps. He set to work, though. His darling was waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

Mark splayed over the entire mattress in sleep, leaving Danny curled in the curve of his arm, soaking up the warmth his Big Daddy produced. His belly was full with ADAM his daddy had brought to him in the form of an angel. Ross had left their cozy little nest shortly after sharing in the prize, leaving the Daddy and his ward to their reunion. It didn't take much to sully the look Danny had taken such care to put on. Sleep was a relief to Mark, a chance to relax with his Little Brother, though the thought of moving was still at the forefront of his mind. Best to let the boy have his fun and ask that much of him after plenty of rest.

 

 

But sleep wasn't enough to make it all okay. 

 

 

Danny woke with a rough jolt, panicked breath shallow as he looked around.

 

Others. There were others in the gloom. He could see the faint glowing of eyes.

 

Fumbling, Danny reached for the lamp, clicking on the light and illuminating the ragtag bunch. Ross was dripping in water, shivering as he tried not to get too close to the bed and yet looking at the many blankets longingly. Arin, another lost Little Brother in a dress of lutestring, had paused int he process of reaching out for Danny. His dress, though threadbare and faded, was still quite pink and caught the light charmingly. Danny had seen him around, shouting obscenities at the Splicers that got so close to catching him. Brian, another Little Brother Danny remembered from the Orphanage, lingered in the far corner, glaring hard and trying hard to blend with the shadows. 

 

"What are you all doing here?" Danny began quietly, "I didn't --"

 

"Dan, something's wrong. The whole place..." Arin stammered, Ross cutting him short. "It's wet, Danny."

 

"It's always wet, Ross," Danny said, "at least you're not covered in soot--"

 

"No, Dan," Arin stated, "It's...it's flooding."

 

Mark was beginning to shift, waking. Danny glared angrily at the others, trying to pat Mark's shoulder and reassure him into sleep. "You guys--" he began, but Mark was up, and quick to catch on to the disturbance. The Brothers were of little concern, though, as Mark passed them by and started for the door. In a huff, Danny left the bed, slipping into his night robe. "You guys shouldn't have come. We were having such a nice--" 

 

"Dan," Mark barked suddenly, catching the young Brother's heart and evoking a spike of panic. "Get your things."

 

Arin quickly snatched a blanket, putting it around Ross before Dan could object. The Brother in question hadn't moved, still tying his night robe. "I can't...I can't get it out easily, Daddy, I have so--" "Then get the essentials, Daniel; we need to leave."

 

The order was uncharacteristically sharp. "But...But, Daddy, my records..."

 

Arin was already moving, crawling over the bed to seize the bathroom. From the many times he'd visited, he knew exactly where the kit was, where Mark hid the ammunition. Taking Dan by the hand, Ross led Danny to the armoire and started taking the most functional pieces from the hangers. Leaning against the door, Mark heard the screaming of Splicers, the sloshing and flow of water steadily growing. Brian, near at hand, watched the him wordlessly. 

 

"What's out there?" Mark murmured lowly, the whimper Dan emitted tearing at his heart ("You don't have that much room in the bag," Ross gentled, "We'll leave it here, come back when it's safe..."). Brian didn't reply, soon distracted as Arin shoved a light canvas bag in his hands. "Brian knows his way through all Siren Alley," Arin said in a rush, "He can lead us out...but _then_ there's you."

 

 

Dan froze at the words. To be separated in a time like this...to risk his Big Daddy? Doleful brown eyes turned on Mark, who considered Danny softly. "I'll make it," he reassured, "You...you go change -- quickly -- and we'll get through this. I promise."

 

He knew it was wrong, but as he shut the bathroom door, Danny felt his heart begin to doubt.


	4. Chapter 4

Danny's heart was pounding as he watched Brian and Ross climb through the vents ahead of him, Arin not far behind. The sound of rushing water was echoed and amplified within the rounded metal and caused his breath to hitch in fear. Mark had kissed his hands before lowering him into the vent opening, promising he'd meet them on the ground floor, but it seemed to be taking forever. All Dan wanted was to be back in his arms, in their room. He'd left such rare luxury behind, things they'd fought so hard to attain. None of it felt fair. 

 

Brian moved like a shadow up ahead, taking the sliding drops silently and turning corners without hesitance. They were on the downward path, toward the shrieking of Splicers and the unmistakable sound of his Daddy's rivet gun firing. Clearing the floors for their safety. The sudden drops came to a halt, Brian along with it. They'd reached ground floor; Danny had many memories of being nearly snatched up by Splicers here. It was the main coming and going of all the Little Brothers and Sisters. 

 

"D-Do you think the others are going to leave, too?" Danny whimpered over the sound of the rivet gun, looking back at Arin for answers. There were many Brothers and Sisters that came and went through the Pink Pearl, not all of them temporary residents. His gaze was avoided and a brief nod given much too quickly before Arin asked Brian to look out the vent opening. Ross was visibly uneasy at the thought, but the silent Brother did as told. Danny listened hard, heard the sloshing of water and footsteps, creaking and groaning until finally Brian was being lifted from his place by a large hand.

 

Mark pulled them out individually, looking fresh from the fight as he pulled Danny out and pressed a hard kiss to his cheek. Immediately taking off, Brian led the group through ankle deep water. The front doors had been shattered outward, licks of flame caressing the wide frame and the thought of Splicers sent fear through them all. Many lie facedown in the water already, blood and ADAM pooling. Mark would protect them, Danny knew. The others kept uncertain.

 

Most of it was a shock and blur for Dan, trudging through the growing water with unease. The creaking and groaning turned out to be multiple thick windows to the outside sea, some already leaking and buckling at the bolts. Danny found himself glancing around every second. They really had been moments from death, weren't they? If Arin hadn't done anything, if Dan had brushed them off and Daddy never woke up, they'd be swimming to their throats by now in that damned brothel. 

 

There should have been alarms, something to warn them, but it seemed all functions had been overlooked or otherwise broken. Danny began to shiver at the waters' touch, watching it rise to his knees with frightened tears in his eyes. Mark paused, shouldering the rivet gun to lift him and carry on. 

 

Splicers were creeping out from all corners, Spider Splicers crawling up walls and Babydolls wailing. The others knew exactly what to do, keeping close to one another with a wary eye on all sides, but most Splicers were too interested in their own survival than the opportunity. Most, being key. A couple of Breadwinners and even a Lady Smith rushed for them, only to be struck down with multiple rounds of heavy rivet that jostled Danny at Mark's shoulder. He'd be okay, they would make it. 

 

Except the waters were rising far too quickly and Siren Alley never seemed so long. Self preservation seemed to kick in as Brian shoved the medical bag he'd been carrying into Ross' arms, darting quickly for the nearest vent and abandoning the group without a word. Danny whimpered lowly, clinging to his Daddy's shirt. But the action caused Mark pause, looking hard at the vent opening. The groaning only increased. Danny's poor heart was deafening. 

 

Mark trudged slowly through the waters, grabbing up Ross and Arin in both hands. Outside, he was steely unlike Dan had ever seen him. Inside, however, he was breaking.

 

"Go," Mark said lowly, lifting Ross by the arm until his flats were slipping into the mouth of the vent. "Find Brian, get to safety."

 

"I don't," Ross began, looking scared, "I don't even know where this vent goes..."

 

"Brian wouldn't have gone unless he knew it could get him to safety faster, now go!" demanded Mark, pressing him further inside. Ross let go reluctantly, the sounds of shuffling growing farther and farther away as he did as he was told. Arin was lowered in slowly with directions to keep with -- Danny sobbed loudly as Mark said his name. His little fingers clung, but Mark pulled him off all too easily. As Arin lowered himself down the vent, Danny tried his hardest not to look into his Daddy's eyes. 

 

"Come on," Mark murmured lowly, sadly, "Do this for me. Promise me you'll make it to safety."

 

Dan stayed silent, tears tracking his cheeks as his hands continued to cling at fingers and skin. Mark kissed him soundly, but it felt too much like a goodbye and his heart was breaking all over again. He kicked and whined, throwing a rare temper tantrum with grief-heavy limbs. His left shoe fell away with a splash, but it hardly mattered. Mark was lowering him slowly inside, kissing him again with every passing inch until Arin's hands were skimming up his stocking, helping him reach the vent floor safely. Panic set in there in the dark, Danny holding fast to his Daddy's hand even as the Big Daddy tried to pull away. He was gone, though, easily shaking off the boy and Arin was there to stem tears without fruition, shushing him gently but leading him away at double the pace. 

 

 

Mark carefully fished the baby blue Mary Jane from the water, trying to ignore the heartache as he pressed on. He had to survive as well. Dionysus Park had a sealed bulkhead, sure to at least keep the flood contained. But through all that were Splicers, the rising water, the sheer cold of the sea, and every creak and groan set his heart to the limit with fear. Yes, Mark was a Big Daddy. Yes, he was afraid. 

 

Afraid for himself. Afraid for Danny. Afraid he'd made all the wrong choices.

 

 

 

The world ended, Mark.

 

 

And where were you?

 

 

 

He reached out for the bulkhead when the groaning finally ceased and, with a scream of water, Siren Alley crumbled. The city, this part of it at least, flowed back into the sea.


	5. Chapter 5

Geoff perked up immediately, blue eyes searching intently. There was a wailing echoing throughout The Atlantic Express, not unlike that of the dying. Barely outside the airlock of Adonis, he shouldered his weapon and watched for the threat. 

 

He casually bypassed a long row of lockers and stepped over a rotting Splicer, ascending the stairs with ease. A crooked sign before him declared it The Atlantic Express Maintenance Facility, now dripping and damp. Plantlife brushed his boots. Scrawlings coated the walls, empty containers and evidence of Splicers long gone. We Will Be Reborn, the walls declaimed. In passing, Geoff smudged the words out with a glove. 

 

The lighting flickered as he turned corners and traversed passageways. The train car up ahead was a frequent spot for Splicers, but none moaned in the shadows. The wailing continued on, however, through the workshop. Taking up arms, Geoff entered slowly. 

 

The usual clutter was upon the table. Shelving were torn open, papers littered the ground as a damp carpet, even the desks were ransacked. The stairs were silently tread, a faint thumping noise accompanying the painful sound. Out of the workshop, across the railing, a Big Daddy beat lowly upon the opening of a vent, crooning into it in pain. The proximity alone was enough to cause Geoff grief, a strange gut feeling telling him to return to his own boys. He knew this sight well enough. The unkempt appearance alone told him this Big Daddy had been on his lonesome for some time, days if not weeks without ADAM or care. Geoff made an audible sound with his rivet gun, shifting the Daddy's attention. The pounding stopped, the wails cut off suddenly, and Mark's head turned slightly.

 

"I need you out of here, buddy," Geoff said simply, waiting for Mark's response while the target of his gun rested solely on his nape. "I've got my own to protect and you'll do nothing but cause a riot out here."

 

The intruding Daddy moved slowly, reaching for his belt. Geoff's fingers tensed, but his eyes followed the motion before he could pull the trigger. This Daddy had no weaponry, only a delicate shoe buckled over the leather of his belt. 

 

"Have you seen a boy?" Mark asked hoarsely as his hand closed around the shoe. "It's been weeks, but...he was wearing one of these. Please." Desperation cut through his voice, further twisting that urge in Geoff's stomach. The entire encounter had him on edge more than it should have.

 

"He...he goes by the name Danny. Barely up to the thigh and no taller, not even in heels. He runs around with a little pack of Brothers. D-dark hair, brown eyes...he's hard to miss, please, have you seen him?"

 

Geoff didn't lower his rivet gun, but found enough pity to shake his head. "No...I haven't seen any Brothers loose in some time. But wherever he is, he's not in that vent. Now, I need you out of here."

 

Mark nodded grimly as Geoff motioned with his weapon, still so stoic while Mark was nearly crying under his breath. He headed off slowly around the corner, heading off through Rapture on another search.

 

 

"I told him to stick with Arin," Geoff could hear him say, "I told them to follow Brian...."

 

 

And he was gone. Geoff sighed slowly, finally shouldering the large rivet gun. This had barely been a patrol, but he had to get home. He had to see Michael and Gavin with his own eyes, grateful for all he had. 

**Author's Note:**

> Song played : Nina Simone's 'My Baby Just Cares For Me'  
> Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYSbUOoq4Vg
> 
> Appearances based on: LiterallyNSFW's Fanart  
> Link - http://literallynsfw.tumblr.com/post/109695977346/its-bigdaddy-mark-and-littlebrother-dan-smoochin
> 
> Danny's Hair reference: Mae West, star of stage and screen, #15 on Top 100 Greatest Screen Legends, 1893 - 1980  
> Link - http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI3NTI2MzcyOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNzgwNjI2._V1_SY317_CR7,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


End file.
